About Ugacof - Sucafina in Uganda

About Ugacof - Sucafina in Uganda

Ugacof has remained deeply committed to the Ugandan coffee sector since it established its presence in 1994. Today, we are Uganda’s leading coffee exporter and have been instrumental in optimizing the country's potential for specialty Arabica production, particularly in the Rwenzori Mountains region. 

Not only has Ugacof invested in building new washing stations and infrastructure and in training personnel to improve coffee processing and quality in the country, we are also a strong believer in the country's extraordinary human potential. Collaborations through IMPACT, Sucafina's Responsible Sourcing program, are building upon 30 years of work to expand farmers’ access to better resources, better training and opportunities to invest in their own future. Through IMPACT and our partnerships and our people, we are making good on our purpose of creating opportunities to improve lives. 

Our Operations in Uganda

Expanding our processing infrastructure is crucial to serving more farmers across Uganda. 

We built our first washing station in Western Uganda in 2019. Today our infrastructure includes 6 Arabica Wet Mills; 2 Dry mills; Warehousing Facilities; 8 Hulling and Collection Centers; and Offices, of course, in Kampala. 

We provide employment for 180+ full time staff and 900 temporary support staff across all regional operations (peak season).

Central & Western Regions - Robusta Hulling Stations

Sucafina operates 8 Robusta Hulling Stations & Buying Centers in Uganda's Central & Western Regions, expanding our services in one of the country's key coffee farming regions. These facilities provide farmers with stable, direct markets and ensures improved traceability. By offering quality premiums for high yields, we encourage the adoption of better agricultural practices and harvesting methods, helping to combat the effects of climate change. 

Central & Western Uganda Hulling Stations:

• Kalungu Hulling Station
• Kinoni Hulling Station
• Matete Hulling Station
• Buikwe Hulling Station
• Bulo Hulling Station
• Rukungiri Hulling Station
• Bulenge Hulling Station
• Kikoma Hulling Station 

Coffee Washing Stations - Wet/Natural/Specialty Processing for Arabica

In recent years, Ugacof has focused our efforts on the previously overlooked Arabica-growing areas of Western Uganda. In 2024, we completed construction of our sixth station in a region traditionally known for natural processed Arabica. This expansion is designed to directly connect farmers to more lucrative markets, bypassing the need for farm-level processing and adding value through stringent attention to detail in processing.  

• Mubuku CWS
• Katerera CWS
• Katete CWS
• Bunyangabu CWS
• Nyabubare CWS
• Kisiizi CWS

Our Offerings

Robusta export grades:

• All screen sizes ( 12+, 15+, 17, 18) and respective clean preps

Arabica exports:

• Bugisu AA/AB/CPB
• Drugar Standard / 90 def / 60def / 45def / 25 def
• Fully Washed 15+
• Arabica Naturals - Premium / High Commercial
• Specialty Coffee - Anaerobic, Lactic fermented, Sucafina Originals: Engeya & Embogo (also available as Certified)

Certifications:

• IMPACT Verified (RO and AR)
• Rainforest Alliance
• 4 C
• C.A.F.E. Practices

Specialty

Ugacof's focus on adding value through access to specialty markets has been a primary objective since we opened our first washing station in Western Uganda. With an ever-growing demand for high-quality Arabicas and a sustained interest from roasters and coffee drinkers in the East African origins, we are very confident that, with diligence and effort, Western Ugandan coffees will be able to take their place alongside the other great East African coffees. ​

Not only are we working with farmers to improve harvesting practices and access to materials and knowledge of better farming practices, we are also actively seeking ways to ensure quality through post-harvest processing. To this end, the Ugacof team is collaborating with global Specialty Sales entities within the Sucafina family, along with Specialty Researcher Anička Marková, to explore methods of adding value to our Ugandan coffee offerings. Together, our teams are experimenting with different processing methods such as anaerobic natural, anaerobic fermentation, lactic fermentation and yeast inoculation across our western washing stations, adapting processes to the unique environmental conditions at each site.  

The collaborative effort between our teams aims to add points of differentiation and added value to available specialty coffees and to work towards a more consistent cup profile. In the long run, these experiments could help improve processing, strengthen team expertise and increase farmer access to higher-value markets. 

Sustainability

Our commitment to improving farmers' livelihoods extends through our IMPACT program, which has registered over 12,500 farmers in various Arabica and Robusta districts. This program enhances our Rainforest Alliance certified supply chain by focusing on coffee quality, increasing farmers' incomes and fostering community development.  

Additionally, our efforts to polygon-map and assess thousands of farmers strengthens our efforts towards EUDR compliance. This initiative not only supports environmental conservation but also helps farmers secure their market access, particularly as over 60% of Uganda’s coffee exports are destined for Europe. Furthermore, our collaboration with other exporters in a national consortium underlines our pre-competitive efforts and collective dedication to ensuring the Ugandan coffee sector meets EUDR standards comprehensively. 

To help with farmer financing, we have recently taken a small but promising step forward by launching a microcredit trial. We partnered with a third party and tested a short-term farmer financing program with 44 farmers in the West, and 70 farmers in Central regions, respectively. 

Credit limits were determined based on each farmer’s past transaction data and capacity. This method helps encourage traceability and reward loyalty with a well-priced loan in subsequent periods. 

Even with training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and new access to appropriate credit (short and long term), many farmers that want to invest in their farms face the barrier of inadequate seedling availability. If there are 200,000 Arabica farmers in total in Western Uganda cultivating 120 million trees, there is a massive need for quality seedlings. Sucafina has identified this need and have scaled up our seedling programs by building our own nurseries that we manage. In just a few months, we’ve gone from a seedling capacity of just 40,000 to over 1.5 million per year.  

For registered farmers within our network, this will help with tree rejuvenation and expansion. 

Finally, our Uganda supply chains are EUDR-ready and IMPACT verified coffees area also available for both Arabica and Robusta. 

About Sucafina

Sucafina is a multinational coffee merchant, founded in 1977 and based in Geneva, Switzerland, with a family tradition in commodities that stretches back to 1905. Today, we redefine sustainability in coffee, connecting farmers to the world with a traceable Green sourcing, premium Instant solutions,and tailored Roasted offerings for private-label and out-of-home markets. United by innovation and purpose, these business units deliver transformative solutions that shape the future of coffee on a global scale.

Interested in learning more about Ugacof or Sucafina? Contact us!